Hackney on the water

Greg Hackney started Day 3 of the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster BASSfest presented by Choctaw Casino Resort in the lead. That means that he was at the head of the pack as the anglers made their way up the lake.

Hackney’s lead was 14 ounces and it came on the strength of 20-pound stringer caught on Day 2.

And it looked like Hackney would be on his way to another nice sack in the opening minutes of the day.

He hooked up with a quality largemouth that was quickly swung out of the water.

The fish had bit and was running toward the boat and Hackney kept its momentum going.

It came aboard shaking water and almost right into the lens of the Bassmaster Live camera.

The fish would actually turn out to be one of his best of the day.

And for Hackney, it was deemed a great start of the day.

It quickly went into the livewell and just as quickly Hackney was back up on the deck, hoping this was the start of a flurry.

The flurry, though, would never come.

Hackney would work over the area he was in, focusing on the plethora of flooded cover.

At times he would slow down and meticulously flip into key areas, covering every twig and leaf.

Other times he would pitch, covering a lot of water in a short amount of time.

And every once in a while, he would get hung up.

He would fish by other fishermen like these cormorants. But for the most part a big portion of his morning was a grind.

He added this fish as his second keeper more than hour into his day.

And like three of his keepers, they would come into the boat fast.

A hook set and a moment later the fish would be airborne and headed toward the boat.

He went through an area where he was able to put number three in just as quick.

It was small enough he had to measure to make sure by placing it on the measuring stick.

Then he would get back to work, placing his jig close to every piece of cover.

By mid-morning, he would hook up with his fourth keeper.

But this one wasn’t going anywhere.

Instead it was wrapped up in the cover and flailed about at the surface.

The flopping fish forced Hackney to kick the trolling motor in gear and rush to get to the fish before it flopped off the hook.

Hackney would say the reason he uses big hooks was for this exact reason. A smaller hook would allow the fish to jump off.

Within moments, Hackney would be digging into the brush.

And eventually pull through the limbs to get the fish free and into the boat.

It was a keeper, but it was also obvious Hackney was none too pleased with the whole catch.

He would bear down and work even harder.

At one point, he gathered some bank-side spectators from a nearby camp ground. Those spectators included former Elite Series professional Jeff Reynolds, who lives nearby.